Reminiscence
by DarkKnights
Summary: Two siblings play at a beach during twilight. Lea picks them up to bring them back to his parents. Their earliest recollection plays out, at least in their parents perspective. After all, "Best Friend's Promise".


**I am a Kingdom Hearts fan. Been for more than a decade. Kind of odd as I never really tried to make a work out of it when I was active during 2012-2013, but hey, this time, I decided to take a chance.I wanted to write a one-shot fluff, considering I want to establish a starting point and to work up my writing skills at the same time. Also, I didn't want to focus on the main KH story and instead try something more personal and contained. And lastly, I favour the Clock Tower Trio (Roxas, Axel/Lea and Xion) the most out of the established protagonist trios in KH, so there's that.**

**Also, maybe I just like stories having a good focus on family dynamics for some reason. This might be a trend, but who knows...**

* * *

The sun gleamed brightly in a twilight sky, overlooking a small beach and a vast expansive ocean. Cries of seagulls etched around, intertwining with the ocean waves' crashing splash and swept sand. It was a beautiful scene, albeit one that also illustrated a sense of melancholy and a bittersweet feeling.

The beach was nearly desolate, although a few crabs waddled close to shore. They were attempting to fetch algae to satiate themselves. Other crabs were waiting for something else like molluscs. Regardless, they gathered with one another as a means of support and companionship.

A foot slammed onto the sandy terrain and close to a group of crabs. Startled, the crabs darted off in different directions underwater or elsewhere on surface. The footprint, though large in scale to the crabs, came from a little girl. She was wearing a white gown with yellow ribbons. Her dark blonde and downed jaw-length hair was drenched a little with seawater, but she didn't seem to mind, giggling and stomping around the shore.

Alongside her was a smaller boy wearing a plain black shirt and grey short pants. His hair was black and spiky, and he had a disposition of silence and confusion, an opposite of the girl. Both wore nothing on their feet and were at a beach to fulfil themselves with fun and joy.

The boy slumped down on his back. He wasn't on the mood to walk, but rather stretch his hands forward, his left pointing at the sun, the other towards the girl. He whined briefly with a curious, but otherwise panicky tone. He got the girl's attention, who walked towards him. She bent a little to face the boy more directly with a big smile. He cooed lightly, now having both hands reaching out to her cheeks.

"Oki! Wanna play?" she greeted cheerfully. The boy was still trying to grab her face. The girl decided to zoom in on him, allowing the boy to grab her cheeks. He gripped them with a slight tight, his hands stroking them repeatedly.

"Not too much", the girl asked him. She then placed her left hand towards the boy's right shoulder and had her right hand tickle his belly.

The boy began to chuckle with a big grin on his face, the girl returned his affection with a warm smile and. All the boy really wanted was to share a play with the girl.

His sister.

The two children giggled for several seconds under a bright sun and darkened sky. Even as they stopped, they maintained their happy looks. Although there was no one around, it still felt great. In fact, it worked for them. They could have every moment there for themselves for now. It was bliss and serenity in pure form.

As the boy released his grip from his sister, she shuffled her right hand towards his left shoulder. "I wanna pick you up!" she cried out in a childish demand. She knew her brother was too heavy for her to pick you up.

The girl then decided to kneel and lay besides her brother whist positioned in a sitting pose. She looked at her brother, although his eyes and mind were instead spent on the sea horizon.

"Oki! Look here" the girl asked. The brother didn't respond. She frowned, but then decided to wiggle close to him. He still looked at the sea, though he took a small peep at her.

"Mummy and Daddy love the sun" said the girl as she herself gazed on the giant orange gleam above the skies. "I love it too. And you too Oki" she added. The boy remained looking ahead, but his reaction gave his sister her answer regarding the sun. She joined him in watching the sky and ocean.

"I wanna see what's ahead of the water" the sister thought. Her face was not that of a thoughtful, but confused child. She was nearing the end of her toddler state, in contrast to her brother who was beginning to become one.

"Can you say Mama?" the girl asked facing towards her brother. He mumbled lightly, barely understanding his sister.

"W… wawa. Wawa" he blurted. His sister chuckled.

"Well… Can you say Daddy?" she was questioning.

The boy swung his arms rapidly. "Da… da. Dada. Dada" he cried out. The girl smiled in response.

"Good! Can you say me name?" she asked again, this time pointing her hand at herself. The boy then looked at his sister. He grunted squeakily.

"As… Asta. Asta" he replied.

The sister then clapped her hands and squeed. "Yay! You know my name!" she cried out in excitement.

"Asta" the brother said again, now in a happier tone. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before turning to face the sun again.

Unbeknownst to them, a tall, lanky figure was walking towards them without knowing. He sported turquoise eyes and long-spiky red hair. He wore a red shirt, black pants and black shoes. He waved his left hand and called out towards the children.

"Aster! Okeanos!"

The girl, Aster noticed and recalled the voice of the man in her mind, immediately turning to face him.

"Uncle Lea!", she cried out, standing up and forcing her right hand to clamp onto his boy's, Okeanos's left hand. Her movement caused Okeanos to slowly rise from the sand and trot with her towards Lea. The latter simply walked towards them before swiping Okeanos gently with his left arm and grabbing Aster's left hand with his right.

"Mama and Papa are waiting. Surely you don't want them worried?" Lea thought in a slightly serious tone.

Aster sighed. "But I like the beach and sun. Oki does too".

Lea's face suddenly shifted to surprise, although he kept it composed from Aster. From what she said, it reminded him of a peculiar past moment. Moments years ago, where he would gaze at the sun with two figures sitting next to him on top of a tower.

That sudden recollection made Lea smile. "Me too…" he muttered nostalgically.

* * *

_5 ½ Years Ago…_

"It's a girl!" a nurse cried out.

"Vitals normal. So is the mother. They will make if through" another nurse reassured.

A small peach blanket was delivered to the second nurse's hands. It held a frail, but persistent baby. She was wailing loud, her hands shrivelled close to her chest.

Besides the two nurses were a tall man in a white jacket with dark-blonde spiky hair and a woman in a patient's garb with black hair whom appeared to be frail and exhausted. The man had a feeling of subdued excitement and nervousness. The woman was having a lot of trouble processing her feelings; she had just given birth, but even then.

"Roxas, Xion. Congratulations on your new child" the first nurse announced with a weary smile. The second nurse carefully strolled the baby to Xion, who shifted her arms to have her daughter placed on top of them. Xion peeked at her, looking overwhelmed by thoughts and tears welling up on her eyes.

Roxas looked on, slowly walking to Xion's left while having a moment of total bliss.

"All right. I'll leave you two for this moment" said the second nurse as she peered at the three. She then soon followed the first nurse in leaving the room, wanting to give Roxas and Xion a private moment with their newest company.

Roxas and Xion hardly noticed. They were too fixated on their daughter, who began to mellow out and grow sleepy. She kept her eyes close, in contrast to her parent's rapidly fluttering sight.

Roxas wept. He didn't know what to say, but simply just stared at his child for what seemed like forever.

"Hello…" he muttered with a broken voice.

Xion sobbed uncontrollably as she looked at her child. Her tears slightly clouded her vision, but she hardly had any composure. The feeling of seeing her daughter for the first time was too overwhelming for her. But there was a feeling of immense joy and peace that she felt for the first time. Amidst her look, she cracked a small, gentle smile. She was beginning to get some control back, tears still drenched onto her cheeks.

"She is so beautiful" Xion thought, slightly caressing the child.

Roxas began to smile. He reached his hand out to his daughter's head, softly rubbing her hair. She took Xion's hairstyle, though it had Roxas's dark-blonde shade.

"You gotta name for her?" Roxas thought, shifting his view to Xion. The latter experienced a few seconds of assumption, before arching her head up.

"How would Aster sound like?" Xion asked.

Roxas had a few seconds of pause before grinning. "Aster. You know, that's a nice, sounding name. I like it. And I'm guessing so do you" he answered.

Xion smiled. "Well then. Aster it is. Or Asta for short" she replied.

The door in front of them creaked. Lea revealed himself, when he took notice of Roxas and Xion with their daughter. The latter two turned to notice their best friend.

"Hey Lea. Guess who's here?" Roxas announced.

Lea had his eyes suddenly directed towards the peach blanket. He wandered to Xion's right to get a good look. The moment he saw Aster for the first time, he immediately sunk his eyes and began to shed tears. He could barely process what he witnessed. Roxas and Xion took notice. "Always a marshmallow Lea" Roxas quipped in response. "Lea, meet Aster" Xion announced.

Lea lifted his right hand for a wave, but struggled to introduce himself. "Hi… Aster. I'm Lea. But you can call… call me… Uncle Lea…" he mumbled with an emotional tone.

Roxas and Xion chuckled a little in Lea's response. "You'll be great with her" Roxas assured. "Got it memorized?" Xion pleaded.

Lea turned to his friends' responses, before sporting a big smile. "Got it memorized" he answered back.

* * *

_3 Years Later…_

Aster gazed closely at her mother holding a navy blanket on her shoulder and laps. Under it laid a sleeping baby boy with spiky black hair, hand huddled under his jaw. She fussed a little while trotting towards Xion and clinging her arms to her feet.

"Mummy! Show me Oki" Aster demanded with a small whimper.

Xion turned her view towards her daughter. "Please Asta. He needs me for now" she denied, whilst sounding polite.

Aster looked on, though she slumped onto the floor and grumbled. It had been a month since her brother was born. Ever since then, she always wanted to play with him, but she could hardly look at him.

Xion took a small peek at Aster, before shifting to her son again. She wanted Aster to be happy, but with her brother needing support from his mother every day, it was hard. She held the boy gently, singing small lullabies to keep him drowsy and calm.

Aster heard the singing. She's known it for quite some time, considering Xion would sing for her when she herself was an infant. She loved Xion's singing and would follow along with her. And she did.

A nearby door opened, revealing Roxas in a usual casual outfit of black and white. "Heya. Got back from Sora, Kairi and Riku" he announced.

"A bit earlier at that too" Xion chimed with a grin.

Roxas sighed with a chuckle. "Well, I don't wanna be leaving those kids being monsters towards you" he explained as he walked towards the three.

Aster pouted her face. "I'm no monster!" she exclaimed towards Roxas. Him and Xion giggled a little in response.

"But you are towards little Oki, isn't it" Roxas teased, causing Aster's face to blush red with frustration. "I'm not Heartless, okay" she ranted, before lowering her head down. "Its that… I want Oki. I wanna play" Aster elaborated wearily.

"Don't worry girl. You'll play with him as much as you want. Trust me" Xion assured.

"Please?" Aster pleaded; eyes wide.

"She will. No need to worry" Roxas offered.

Aster smiled in response. "Next time, I want Oki with me" she asked.

Roxas and Xion chuckled. For them, what mattered most was their children. And their friends.

* * *

_Present Day_

Lea trotted at the Twilight Town pavement. It was night, and he was certain he needed to get Aster and Okeanos back to their parents as soon as possible. He held a crystal-blue ice cream on his left hand, while clutching onto Okeanos on his right. A few steps ahead of him was Aster, also holding the same ice cream that Lea had.

"Sea-salt's so yummy!" Aster declared while looking at Lea, whilst walking.

Lea smiled. "Well, there's a reason why I ate those with your mom and dad. We kept eating, even after they married" he replied.

"One day, I'll have Oki eat one too" Aster announced.

"You will indeed. Just don't let school and stuff get in your way" Lea replied again. The three soon came across a blue door, with an ice cream sticker stamped on the upper front.

"Well, can't help but visit your parents" Lea wondered as he pressed the doorbell.

"Roxas! Xion. Its Lea. I Bought your kids back from the beach. Doing you a best friend's favour" Lea announced.

"Uncle Lea, where are Mummy and Daddy?" Aster asked with blank curiosity.

Lea blushed a little. "Damn it. I've got no idea" he thought in his mind.

Aster looked below to find a letter.

"Uncle Lea, look", she asked, nudging his left knee hardly and pointing on the floor.

"Careful! You don't want me dropping Oki. Don't want your parents hating me" Lea stated with a soft stern. He then took notice of a letter besides the door.

Aster picked it up and opened the letter.

"Mind giving it to me?" Lea asked, immediately finishing his ice cream and swiping the stick to his left chest pocket. Aster handed the letter to Lea, who looked at what was written.

_"Dear Lea._

_We just wanted to let you know that Riku and Namin__é _

_é are having a child in the upcoming hours, so we had to leave in a hurry._

_We're really sorry we had to leave Asta and Oki behind with you. I know you're not fond of babysitting, but we trust you more than anyone else. We will be back as soon as we could. And sorry for taking out Gummiship to Destiny Island._

_Best Friend's Promise._

_Roxas and Xion"_

Lea sighed in nervousness and subdued panic. "Oh, come on. At least you could have waited until we came back" He thought to himself.

Aster slapped Lea's knees rapidly. "Where's Mummy and Daddy?" she demanded.

Lea blushed. "Well… they're…" he began, not really knowing what to say next,

"Where's Isa when I need him…" Lea thought in his mind again.

* * *

**To start off, I had a tough time deciding the name of the kids. I went through KH lore, realising that many of the characters have some of meaning to their names. "Aster" is a genus of a group of plants. I also picked up that Xion is named after several things, including the Aster tataricus, which happens to be the scientific name for the Shion flower. On the other hand, Okeanos is named after the Greek Titan representing water. The name "Shio" means tide in Japanese, and the water-naming theme is something that gets associated with Kairi, Naminé and Aqua as well. Case in point, I wanted the names to stand out, and have some meaning behind them too.**

**Like I said, I wanted my story to be contained and more simpler, especially compared to how complicated KH's story can be. And to save time from explanation, I'll have this set after KHIII. Though I did decide to add some references prevalent in the KH games.**

**There might be a chance that I could get this story carried over and make a story that ties to this. I'll give it a thought, and if decided, I'll put it on thought until I finish off a good majority of my other stories.**

**Review and share your thoughts. Constructive criticism is always welcome, plus there's always room for improvement. Till then, I'll catch up later. See you in the next Chapter/Story.**


End file.
